Chapter 618: Cultivators Form an Army

Boss Lu wrote the character "Jìn" (Prohibit) on Du Wenming's back and threw him before Yu Yaoming.

Do not underestimate this single character. After Boss Lu subdued Du Wenming, he personally wrote it several times to get it right. With just this one character, Du Wenming's cultivation was completely restricted. This meant he couldn't use his techniques, couldn't leverage his physical advantages, and couldn't even perform the most basic Daoist footwork. Aside from his perception, he was virtually indistinguishable from a helpless lamb.

Yu Yaoming stared at Du Wenming, frozen for a long time. The two knew each other; Du Wenming had rescued Yu Yaoming after he was arrested by the Dark Star Bureau. Although there was an element of mutual utilization involved, Du Wenming had indeed saved Yu Yaoming's life. Du Wenming gazed intently at Yu Yaoming; he was his only hope for survival.

Yu Yaoming didn't forget their past. He looked at Boss Lu and said, "Du Wenming and I researched wormholes together. He still has a use." Du Wenming looked at Boss Lu, his expression full of anticipation.

Boss Lu asked Yu Yaoming, "What's his use?"

Yu Yaoming explained in detail: "The principles of wormholes are incredibly complex. Not to mention in Puluo Province, even in other provinces, few people understand the basics of wormholes. Du Wenming not only understands the basics but has also researched wormholes to a certain level. My graduate students are inferior to him in many aspects."

Du Wenming nodded vigorously towards Boss Lu.

Boss Lu also trusted Yu Yaoming's judgment: "You mean, keep him as an assistant?" Yu Yaoming nodded again: "This current experiment needs his assistance."

Du Wenming looked at Yu Yaoming again, his eyes filled with gratitude.

Boss Lu was somewhat concerned: "Since this person is an expert, if he learns some core secrets, it might be detrimental to us in the future." Yu Yaoming was well-prepared for this: "Don't worry, we'll blindfold him so he sees nothing, ensuring no secrets leak out." Boss Lu still hesitated: "If you blindfold him, how can he assist you with the experiment?"

"We'll send him into the wormhole. Given his understanding of wormholes, he'll definitely find an exit." Boss Lu no longer hesitated: "Our thoughts are largely aligned."

Du Wenming expressed his heartfelt thanks to Yu Yaoming: "You, Yu, you won't have a goo..."

Before he could finish, Boss Lu wrote another "Jìn" character on Du Wenming's face. Du Wenming could not see, hear, or speak, and even his sense of smell disappeared. The two men took their equipment and Du Wenming and left the bookstore together. They reached Black Stone Slope, and from the Wheel Path on Black Stone Slope, they arrived at the border of Soda Kiln.

Boss Lu opened a copy of "Adding Fragrance to Ci-Poetry" and released a cannon from its illustration. This cannon, having undergone several improvements by Yu Yaoming, was much larger than before, and its equipment was far more complex.

After adjusting the parameters, Yu Yaoming placed Du Wenming at the designated spot in front of the cannon's muzzle. Boss Lu wrote an "Kāi" (Open) character next to Du Wenming's ear, and Du Wenming could hear sounds again.

Yu Yaoming instructed: "Old Du, don't wander around after you enter. Most of the space inside the wormhole allows for clear direction. Find the exit by going in a straight line, away from the entrance. Do you understand?"

Du Wenming didn't respond. Yu Yaoming said to Boss Lu: "Let him say something."

Boss Lu wrote an "Kāi" character on Du Wenming's mouth, and Du Wenming could speak: "You, Yu, may your whole family not have a go—!"

Yu Yaoming fired the cannon, and Du Wenming vanished.

Boss Lu was somewhat displeased: "There was a cannon sound; you should have told me earlier." Indeed, there had been no cannon sound before; this was a result of the improvements. Yu Yaoming didn't care much: "This cannon sound isn't even as loud as a firecracker."

Du Wenming was sent into the wormhole. Not long after, the forbidden art on his face lifted, and he could see and hear again. However, the forbidden art on his body remained, and his combat power was still unrestored.

Walking in the dark wormhole, he tried to find the exit using the method Yu Yaoming had taught him. He actually found it. At the edge of the wormhole, he sensed a slight spatial dislocation, which was equivalent to a crack on the wormhole's inner wall. In previous experiments with Yu Yaoming, Du Wenming had perceived similar cracks. But the key question was, how could Du Wenming get out through such a narrow crack?

Yu Yaoming, in designing the cannon, had clearly not considered this problem thoroughly enough. If Du Wenming's cultivation were still intact, he could tear open an entrance through the crack using his footwork. But now his cultivation was restricted, and he couldn't even perform the basic footwork of a dancer.

All the problems stemmed from the "Jìn" character on his back. If he could just erase the "Jìn" character, he could regain his combat power. Du Wenming tried several times, but he couldn't rub it off. Boss Lu had written the character in too peculiar a position; Du Wenming couldn't even touch it. If only his dancer's talent were still there, Du Wenming's physical flexibility was now noticeably lacking. He repeatedly explored the wormhole's crack, with hope right before his eyes, yet he was powerless.

A desperate Du Wenming lay on the ground, and worms from the moss crawled onto him, one after another. Du Wenming's physique was also affected; he couldn't endure hunger. He endured for a long time, but finally couldn't hold back, grabbing a few worms and stuffing them into his mouth.

Boss Lu waited outside the boundary for half an hour but didn't see Du Wenming emerge from the wormhole. He looked at Yu Yaoming, who repeatedly shook his head and said, "We can't rush this. Du Wenming can only come out once he finds the exit. If he gets lost, we'll have to wait longer."

"No need to wait. I left a mark on him; as long as he comes out, I'll definitely sense it." Boss Lu was very bothered by the cannon sound from earlier and quickly left the border line with Yu Yaoming.

Li Banfeng was observing the land reclamation trial in the new territory. He had responded to Zhang Wanlong and provided considerable assistance, but the rules for ten-mile reclamation could not be changed, nor could the bounties for strange beasts be reduced. Across the entire territory, powerful strange beasts brought out their best abilities and fought fiercely with Zhang Wanlong.

After one day of preparation, Zhang Wanlong had planted the ten-mile territory full of bok choy. Genzi was a bit puzzled: "Brother Zhang, are we only planting this one thing?"

Zhang Wanlong said: "I also wanted to plant a variety, but with only one day, we had to plant something fast-growing and easy to maintain." "Can this bok choy fight?"

"Whether it can fight depends on who it's compared to. As long as the quantity is large enough, we can withstand it."

On the first day of the trial, Old Niu led a group of strange beasts aggressively into the plot. The bok choy swung its leaves and tangled with Old Niu. Back when he was under Qiu Luoye, Old Niu was already renowned for his tough hide and thick skin. The bok choy's attacks on him were less effective than a mere scratch. He swung his horns, plowing through the bok choy in front of him, clearing a path, and charging towards Zhang Wanlong with his group.

Zhang Wanlong was seen sitting in the middle of the plot, drinking tea and eating biscuits. Genzi was carrying a bucket, ready to face the enemy.

Li Banfeng hovered in mid-air, quietly observing the battle, hidden by his home-cultivator talent. He was a little worried for Genzi. As strange beasts, Old Niu and his old brothers were not weak in cultivation. How long could Genzi last by himself? But at this moment, he couldn't speak, nor should he.

Zhang Wanlong reminded Genzi: "Brother, don't be too harsh, and don't use too much 'golden juice,' lest the local land deity dislike us."

No sooner had he spoken than Old Niu cut through the bok choy field and charged close to Genzi. Genzi, calm and composed, swung his ladle and first used a move called "Golden Dots of Light." Tiny dots of golden juice, like fine rain, fell without missing a single drop, all landing on Old Niu's body.

Li Banfeng was somewhat surprised. He had seen the "Golden Dots of Light" technique before. When Xu Han used this technique, it was mainly to counter Green Blossom's pus-covered body; its main characteristic was density. But little Genzi managed to hit every shot, controlling the accuracy so well, which truly exceeded Li Banfeng's expectations. This indicated that Genzi's cultivation had improved significantly.

Another point that surprised Li Banfeng was Old Niu's state. He was only focused on charging, completely undefended against Genzi's technique. Back when Genzi was reclaiming land under Qiu Luoye, Old Niu had seen him. And after being in the territory for so long, Old Niu should have known the potency of the "golden juice." Why did he not avoid it at all?

It wasn't that he couldn't avoid it; he couldn't dodge. Old Niu's condition was off. His footsteps were chaotic. He appeared to charge with great momentum, but his attacks were utterly unorganized. He had been afflicted by some means. Having experienced many battles, Li Banfeng quickly found the source of the affliction. Aside from the golden dots of juice, Old Niu also had a lot of greenish liquid on him. These liquids came from the bok choy. Old Niu had charged through the bok choy field, getting covered in much bok choy juice, and he was poisoned.

Little Genzi dodged Old Niu's several charges. He stirred the ladle at the bottom of the bucket, preparing to scoop out something dry. Li Banfeng had also seen this move; it was "Golden Mountain Overflowing," where he would create an erupting golden mountain beneath Old Niu's feet. Given Old Niu's state, the golden mountain wouldn't even need to erupt; Old Niu would be gone if he fell into it.

Zhang Wanlong stopped Genzi and shouted to Old Niu: "Brother Niu, we usually have a good relationship. Go, you won't earn anything from this trip!" Old Niu angrily scurried away, but he didn't go far. He ran to the corner of the plot and lay on the ground, gnawing on bok choy leaves. The reason he didn't leave was that he didn't want to miss out on this opportunity for merit. Dozens of other strange beasts followed, reaching little Genzi.

Little Genzi swung his ladle, unleashing "Golden Light Like a Waterfall." The golden juice rose into the air, forming a magnificent golden curtain that slowly poured down. The waterfall drenched the group of strange beasts, and under intense corrosion, they were burned, their skin peeling and flesh rotting. Similar to Old Niu, they didn't know how to dodge or protect themselves. They all seemed to have lost their minds, knowing only to charge head-on.

After a few rounds of charging, these strange beasts could no longer stand steadily. Zhang Wanlong again reminded little Genzi to leave them a way out. Most of the strange beasts retreated, joining Old Niu to eat bok choy.

Li Banfeng smiled wryly to himself. These strange beasts hadn't grown a single ounce of wisdom over the years. Such poisonous bok choy, and you dare to eat it.

A few tree spirits had not surrendered. As strange beasts, their resistance to golden juice and poisonous bok choy was significantly stronger. The peach tree spirit and willow tree spirit, nourished by the golden juice, grew more energetic with each attack. Zhang Wanlong was still drinking tea beside them, savoring it. Seeing that little Genzi genuinely couldn't handle these tree spirits, Zhang Wanlong finally made his move. Genzi swung his ladle, delivering another "Golden Dots of Light." This time, when the golden juice landed on the tree spirits, a change occurred.

He added some medicinal powder to his teapot, stirred it with a chopstick, and once the powder dissolved, Zhang Wanlong flicked his wrist, pouring a pot of tea into Genzi's bucket. The branches and leaves of the few tree spirits grew rapidly, but their trunks and roots showed no change. After fighting for a long time, their canopies grew larger and larger. Their trunks and roots couldn't support them, and the few tree spirits successively collapsed to the ground.

They struggled to move with their roots, leaving the battlefield and going to the edge of the plot. This was Old Niu's previously arranged tactic: it doesn't matter if you lose a fight; don't easily leave the plot; rest for a night and continue fighting.

While eating bok choy, Old Niu summarized the lessons from their defeat: "We lost today for one reason: we weren't united! I charged once, then you charged once, and the remaining few old trees charged last. What's the use of such a charge? Even if we reach them, we're just waiting to be picked off one by one! We must be united; if we charge, we charge together. Don't miss out on this cultivation opportunity..."

Li Banfeng truly felt embarrassed for these strange beasts. They were still thinking about gaining cultivation? If Zhang Wanlong hadn't held back, they would have been dead long ago. Even if Zhang Wanlong intended to spare them, given their current eating habits, Li Banfeng estimated they wouldn't live until tomorrow morning. But unexpectedly, Old Niu ate dozens of bok choy plants and still didn't collapse. Other strange beasts also ate a lot of bok choy and showed no signs of poisoning. This was wrong.

Earlier, when they charged, they got some bok choy juice on them and were all poisoned, rendered helpless before little Genzi. Now, after eating so much bok choy, they hadn't collapsed. What was the reason for this? Was the bok choy's poison only suitable for external use, not internal? Or did the bok choy itself retract its poison, intentionally not poisoning these strange beasts?

Zhang Wanlong had always maintained restraint; he wanted to spare these strange beasts, which didn't surprise Li Banfeng. But just having the intention wasn't enough. Could bok choy release poison and then retract it? Was this something bok choy could do?

The next morning, Old Niu and the group of strange beasts had recovered about seventy to eighty percent. They gathered together to help the tree spirits prune the excess branches and leaves from their canopies. Two leopards refused to help: "Grandpa Niu, we don't eat grass."

Old Niu got angry: "This is a battle, not a feast! Who told you to actually eat it?"

After pruning off seventy to eighty percent of the new leaves, the tree spirits also stood up. The group of strange beasts gathered and charged again towards Zhang Wanlong and little Genzi. The two brothers hadn't woken up yet, snoring away in their tent.

During the charge, Old Niu discovered that the path he had plowed the day before had disappeared. All the bok choy that had been pushed over had grown back. The newly grown bok choy was no different from the old, and with the heavy fog today, the path from yesterday was completely lost. As he pondered, Old Niu shook his head. Why look for a path? Just plow out another path and start fighting, wasn't that simpler? These bok choy fell over with a single plow and stood motionless on the ground. Dealing with them was effortless. No, weren't these bok choy quite strong yesterday? Why were they motionless today?

As he pondered, Old Niu felt a dizzy spell, collapsed to the ground, and couldn't get up. Dozens of strange beasts behind him also fell to the ground, unable to rise. The remaining few tree spirits were still relatively resistant, but they didn't dare to advance easily, because the situation was basically the same as yesterday. Even if they charged, Zhang Wanlong could easily take them down with a pot of tea. Caught in a dilemma, the tree spirits resigned themselves, dragging the others back to the edge of the plot.

The heavy fog over the plot did not dissipate for the entire day. Zhang Wanlong and little Genzi had food and drink, chatted and laughed, and the second day of land reclamation passed by easily.

Li Banfeng, floating in mid-air, had long since discerned the source of the heavy fog. These mists came from the leaves of the bok choy. Tiny droplets of water on the leaves continuously evaporated, forming a dense fog over the ten-mile territory. Getting bok choy juice on them caused poisoning, but eating bok choy leaves did not cause poisoning. The mist released by the bok choy could also poison people. The poison had different forms, and it could be released and retracted at will. Most crucially, these poisonous mists would selectively attack enemies, yet Zhang Wanlong and little Genzi, right in the middle of the vegetable patch, were completely fine, while Old Niu and his group were poisoned!

"Wife, do you think this is still bok choy?" Li Banfeng recounted the events outside to the phonograph.

"Qilang, what you're describing is no longer bok choy; you're clearly describing a poison cultivator!" Hong Ying interjected before his wife, carefully comparing the bok choy to a poison cultivator, feeling they were quite similar. "Poison cultivators have a technique called 'Invisible Eyes,' which allows potent poisons to only attack enemies without harming allies. If bok choy can even use this technique, what's the difference between it and a poison cultivator?"

His wife spoke more cautiously: "My dear husband, you can't say that because bok choy learned one technique, it's become a poison cultivator. I've read many cases you brought back from other provinces. These bok choy plants are somewhat similar to those foreign cultivators."

Indeed, they were somewhat similar: they had combat power and techniques, but lacked a system. Was this because the bok choy hadn't consumed the medicinal powder yet?

Cultivators were arrogant and self-serving, making it incredibly difficult to form an army. But what if one day, the peddler gave Zhang Wanlong the medicinal powder? Wouldn't Zhang Wanlong then be able to cultivate an army of cultivators? Even if this army consisted of cultivators only one or two levels deep, with his production capacity, their combat power would be astonishingly high. Li Banfeng remembered the bamboo little Genzi had given him. Zhang Wanlong was researching iron-sinewed bamboo. Even if the peddler didn't give Zhang Wanlong the medicinal powder, he might still be able to create it himself.

By the third day, the bok choy in the plot grew too densely. The strange beasts were poisoned by the bok choy juice halfway through their charge and collapsed.

It was clear that with Zhang Wanlong's current strength, reclaiming new land was an overwhelming victory against the strange beasts. By the afternoon of the third day, Zhang Wanlong set up several tables for a banquet, inviting the surrounding strange beasts to eat in the vegetable garden, settling the conflict.

Old Niu didn't want to go. He was there for the trial. The three-day trial period hadn't passed, and eating at the same table with the land reclaimer wasn't proper and would be humiliating. But persuaded by other strange beasts, he still went, as Old Goat said: "When you meet such a formidable person, dare you still make an enemy of them? Shouldn't we live in harmony from now on?"

A group of strange beasts went to the banquet, making the trial impossible to observe. Li Banfeng recognized Zhang Wanlong's strength and knew he would surely pass the trial. But now, with the examiners and the reclaimer coexisting peacefully, would the territory still recognize the trial's result?

Li Banfeng waited for the answer the next day. If the territory's boundary darkened and divine light appeared in the sky, it would prove the trial was successful. If the territory didn't acknowledge it, the trial would have to continue.

To his utter surprise, at six o'clock that evening, the territory's boundary darkened, and light from the sky shone upon the territory. The land reclamation was successful. What was the meaning of this? The trial hadn't even reached three days, and the territory had already acknowledged it. Because Li Banfeng had already recognized Zhang Wanlong's strength earlier, this land reclamation was considered a success! From the time Li Banfeng first learned about land reclamation until today, he had never seen anyone complete the reclamation prematurely before the three-day deadline.

The strange beasts eating at the banquet in the bok choy garden were also stunned. Old Niu was the first to toast Zhang Wanlong: "Lord Long, setting aside the local land deity, you are the master of this territory. The divine light arrived even earlier; it's clear as day, you are the master chosen by heaven! I, Old Niu, was foolish and caused you a lot of trouble these past two days. Let's consider it us fulfilling our respective duties. Please don't blame me in the future!" "What are you talking about? After a battle, our bond is even deeper!" Zhang Wanlong was happy and drank several cups with Old Niu.

After much drinking, the two went together to urinate. As they walked deep into the bok choy field, they saw a man looking towards the banquet. Zhang Wanlong asked Old Niu: "Is he one of your people?"

Old Niu shook his head: "I don't know this person."

The man quickly explained: "I'm here to reclaim land. I heard you succeeded in your reclamation, and I wanted to learn your skills." Zhang Wanlong waved his hand: "What skills do I have? It's all thanks to the friends in this territory looking after me."

Old Niu quickly said: "Don't be modest about this. We tried our best, but unfortunately, our meager abilities are truly nothing in front of you!" After exchanging a few compliments, Zhang Wanlong said to the man: "Come join us at the table and eat something. I'm happy today; we can eat and chat." The man repeatedly waved his hands: "I need to hurry back and prepare. I'm only reclaiming one mile of land, a small-scale effort, I won't delay you all."

After a few pleasantries, the man left. Zhang Wanlong didn't pay it any mind and continued drinking.

This man, who was reclaiming land for Li Banfeng, returned to his tent and inserted a telegraph key into his navel, sending out a telegram with a series of beeps. In Black Stone Slope, at Chain Path, Golden Gear Newspaper, editor Hu Yunqi finished writing his draft and immediately handed it to Song Shu.

Sister Song took the draft, opened the microphone, and broadcasted in a sweet voice: "Dear listeners and friends, I am Ah Hui. According to the latest news from our frontline reporter, following Zhengjing Village, another ten-mile new territory has successfully completed its reclamation. This new territory is located in a relatively remote area, and the reclaimer is an agrarian cultivator. Previously, he had already successfully reclaimed three miles of new land in the surrounding area..." A signal disturbance occurred. Hundred-Eyed Fish pulled the antenna from his mouth and squatted on the ground, retching for a long time.

"Elder Pan, let's stop the broadcast here today. This antenna has been against my throat; I really can't take it anymore."

Gao Shuxia chuckled: "I really don't understand why this antenna has to be held in your mouth. Can't you put it somewhere else?" Hundred-Eyed Fish shook his head: "Other places are even more uncomfortable; I've tried them all."

Pan Dehai was still pondering the news: "Has there been a prominent agrarian cultivator hero in Puluo Province recently?" Gao Shuxia thought for a moment and seemed to realize something: "Xu Han! He should count as a hero, right?"

Pan Dehai rolled his eyes at Gao Shuxia: "What can I say about you? After so long with me, shouldn't you have made some progress? What is Xu Han's status? Can he be compared with ordinary people? Is it possible for him to run off to reclaim new land?"

Gao Shuxia shook her head: "As for famous agrarian cultivators, I don't know many."

Pan Dehai was very concerned about this matter: "Who could this person be? Anyone who can reclaim a ten-mile territory is no ordinary person."

A maid came to Hundred-Eyed Fish and whispered a few words. Hundred-Eyed Fish quickly relayed to Pan Dehai: "Your new disciple just ate another ox." "Ate another one?" Pan Dehai shuddered.

Gao Shuxia sighed: "Even with mountains of gold and silver, he can't be sustained."

Pan Dehai counted on his fingers: "That can't be right. With his cultivation, he shouldn't eat so much. Even at the ninth level of the earth layer, he wouldn't need to eat three oxen a day." Gao Shuxia smiled wryly: "Three oxen a day, that's over a thousand oxen a year, Elder Pan. You really need to work harder and earn more silver dollars, or he really could bankrupt you."

Pan Dehai sighed softly: "That's not how you put it. Qin Tianjiu is a prodigy; he'll surely achieve great things in the future. Teaching him some real skills will not only gain a top disciple but also forge a friendship with Li Qi. Ah Xia, do you know the Forget-Sorrow Lady on Iron Bowl Ridge?"

Gao Shuxia nodded: "Yes, I do. She's a wonderful lady, highly accomplished in both wine and cultivation!"